Whether you're making delicious braises or hearty stews, the All-Clad 4 Qt. Electric Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert is perfect if you have a small family. You'll pay a premium price for this model, but in our tests, it turned out top-notch beef stew, chicken soup, and pot roasts. The smaller size saved space, but the ceramic insert made it heavier to lift.

How We Tested: We evaluated 14 slow cookers and made beef stew, chicken soup, and roast beef to assess for safe cooking temperatures and taste. We assessed for clarity and helpfulness of the manual; readability of control panel; the types of controls and their ease of use; availability of timed cooking, signal light, and an automatic keep warm setting; ability to comfortably use handles and lid knob; versatility; surface temperature; weight; and ease of cleaning.